**Russia Agrees to Keep Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant Offline Until War Ends**
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has announced that the Russian Federation has agreed not to restart the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine until the war ends and nuclear safety threats are resolved. This decision was made after discussions with the plant’s management and the Russian regulatory authority, Rostekhnadzor.
According to IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, several conditions must be met before any of the six reactors can be restarted. These include resolving issues related to cooling water and external power supply. Currently, only one power transmission line is operational at the site, compared to ten before the conflict. The destruction of the Kakhovka dam in mid-2023 has also left the plant without sufficient water to cool its reactors.
**Nuclear Safety Concerns Remain**
The IAEA emphasized that the external power supply situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant remains extremely unstable, posing a constant threat to nuclear safety. The Agency’s statement reads: “The largest nuclear power plant in Europe has not produced electricity for nearly three years, and its location on the front lines of the conflict continues to pose a constant threat to nuclear safety.”
**Agreement Reflects Broader Concerns**
The agreement between Russia and the IAEA reflects broader concerns about Ukraine’s energy infrastructure coming under threat. On June 15, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine’s nuclear generation infrastructure is under threat from Russian occupiers planning further attacks on Ukraine’s energy system.
**IAEA Stresses Consensus Among Parties**
The IAEA stressed that there is a broad consensus among all parties involved – the plant’s management, Rostekhnadzor, and the Ukrainian national regulator State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU) – that the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant cannot resume operations as long as the war continues to threaten nuclear safety.
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